Effect of salivary flow on masticatory efficiency and interocclusal distance during speech

Orientador: Renata Cunha Matheus Rodrigues GarciaDissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de PiracicabaResumo: A saliva é um fluido complexo que interfere em diversas funções, como auxiliar atividades importantes do sistema estomatognático como a mastigação e a comunicação dos indivíduos. A ausência ou redução do fluxo de saliva pode prejudicar o cumprimento de suas funções e causar desconforto. Diante disso, esse estudo avaliou, de maneira objetiva, se o fluxo salivar interfere na eficiência mastigatória e na distância interoclusal durante a fala. Um total de 60 voluntários saudáveis foram divididos em três grupos (n=20): (1) controle, composto por voluntários com fluxo salivar normal; (2) hipossalivação, composto por voluntários com fluxo salivar reduzido; e (3) hipersalivação, composto por voluntários com salivação aumentada. Para compor o grupo 2, foram selecionados 20 voluntários que faziam uso sistêmico de isotretinoína, indicada para tratamento dermatológico, o qual tem a boca seca como um dos efeitos colaterais mais freqüentes. A condição de hipersalivação do grupo 3 foi induzida por meio de gotejamento de ácido cítrico 6% na superfície lateral da língua. Para comprovar o estado salivar, todos os voluntários tiveram fluxo salivar determinado e expresso em mL/min, imediatamente antes dos testes de eficiência mastigatória e distância interoclusal durante a fala. A eficiência mastigatória foi avaliada por meio da mastigação de 3,4 g de material artificial (Optosil®) durante 20 ciclos mastigatórios. Após a mastigação, a eficiência mastigatória foi calculada por meio da porcentagem de material triturado capaz de atravessar a peneira 10 (2 mm de abertura), utilizando-se sistema de peneiras acopladas a um agitador. A distância interoclusal durante a fala de todos os fonemas da Língua Portuguesa brasileira foi mensurada por meio do método eletromagnético de registro do traçado mandibular, utilizando-se um cinesiógrafo. Os dados obtidos foram submetidos a análise de variância (P=0,05). A comparação da eficiência mastigatória e da distância interoclusal durante a fala entre indivíduos com diferentes condições salivares não revelou diferença estatística significante. Nas condições deste estudo, conclui-se que indivíduos com fluxo salivar reduzido ou aumentado não apresentaram alterações na eficiência mastigatória e distância interoclusal durante a fala em relação aos indivíduos com fluxo salivar normal. Palavras-chave: Saliva, mastigação, comunicaçãoAbstract: Saliva is a complex fluid which performs various functions, as assisting important activities of the stomatognathic system such as mastication and speech articulation. The lack or reduction of salivary flow affects its functions and causes discomfort. This study objectively evaluated the effect of salivary flow rate on the masticatory efficiency and interocclusal distance during speech. Sixty healthy fully dentate subjects were divided into 3 groups: (1) control, composed by subjects with normal salivary flow rate; (2) hyposalivation, composed by subjects with reduced salivary flow rate; (3) hypersalivation, composed by subjects with increased salivary flow rate. To establish group 2, twenty subjects who used systemic oral isotretinoin were selected. This drug is indicated for dermatologic treatment and its most common side effect is dry mouth. Group 3 hypersalivation condition was conducted by 6% citric acid dripping on tongue lateral borders. The salivary flow was measured immediately before the tests to confirm the salivary condition of the subjects. Masticatory efficiency was evaluated by means of the percentage of an artificial material (Optosil®) which can pass through the 10-mesh sieve after 20 chewing strokes, using a sieving method. The interocclusal distance during the pronunciation of all the Brazilian Portuguese language phonemes was measured using an electromagnetic jaw-tracking method, Recorded data were analyzed by ANOVA (P=0,05). The comparison of masticatory efficiency and interocclusal distance during speech among subjects with different salivary conditions revealed no significant differences. Within the conditions this study, it is possible to conclude that subjects with reduced or induced salivary flow rate presented neither masticatory efficiency nor interocclusal distance during speech alterations when compared with subjects with normal salivary flow rate. Key Words: Saliva, mastication, communicationMestradoProtese DentalMestre em Clínica Odontológic

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear understanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5,6,7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8,9,10,11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world's most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepresented in biodiversity databases.13,14,15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may eliminate pieces of the Amazon's biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological communities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple organism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region's vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most neglected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lost

Taking the pulse of Earth's tropical forests using networks of highly distributed plots

Tropical forests are the most diverse and productive ecosystems on Earth. While better understanding of these forests is critical for our collective future, until quite recently efforts to measure and monitor them have been largely disconnected. Networking is essential to discover the answers to questions that transcend borders and the horizons of funding agencies. Here we show how a global community is responding to the challenges of tropical ecosystem research with diverse teams measuring forests tree-by-tree in thousands of long-term plots. We review the major scientific discoveries of this work and show how this process is changing tropical forest science. Our core approach involves linking long-term grassroots initiatives with standardized protocols and data management to generate robust scaled-up results. By connecting tropical researchers and elevating their status, our Social Research Network model recognises the key role of the data originator in scientific discovery. Conceived in 1999 with RAINFOR (South America), our permanent plot networks have been adapted to Africa (AfriTRON) and Southeast Asia (T-FORCES) and widely emulated worldwide. Now these multiple initiatives are integrated via ForestPlots.net cyber-infrastructure, linking colleagues from 54 countries across 24 plot networks. Collectively these are transforming understanding of tropical forests and their biospheric role. Together we have discovered how, where and why forest carbon and biodiversity are responding to climate change, and how they feedback on it. This long-term pan-tropical collaboration has revealed a large long-term carbon sink and its trends, as well as making clear which drivers are most important, which forest processes are affected, where they are changing, what the lags are, and the likely future responses of tropical forests as the climate continues to change. By leveraging a remarkably old technology, plot networks are sparking a very modern revolution in tropical forest science. In the future, humanity can benefit greatly by nurturing the grassroots communities now collectively capable of generating unique, long-term understanding of Earth's most precious forests.Additional co-authors: Susan Laurance, William Laurance, Francoise Yoko Ishida, Andrew Marshall, Catherine Waite, Hannsjoerg Woell, Jean-Francois Bastin, Marijn Bauters, Hans Beeckman, Pfascal Boeckx, Jan Bogaert, Charles De Canniere, Thales de Haulleville, Jean-Louis Doucet, Olivier Hardy, Wannes Hubau, Elizabeth Kearsley, Hans Verbeeck, Jason Vleminckx, Steven W. Brewer, Alfredo Alarcón, Alejandro Araujo-Murakami, Eric Arets, Luzmila Arroyo, Ezequiel Chavez, Todd Fredericksen, René Guillén Villaroel, Gloria Gutierrez Sibauty, Timothy Killeen, Juan Carlos Licona, John Lleigue, Casimiro Mendoza, Samaria Murakami, Alexander Parada Gutierrez, Guido Pardo, Marielos Peña-Claros, Lourens Poorter, Marisol Toledo, Jeanneth Villalobos Cayo, Laura Jessica Viscarra, Vincent Vos, Jorge Ahumada, Everton Almeida, Jarcilene Almeida, Edmar Almeida de Oliveira, Wesley Alves da Cruz, Atila Alves de Oliveira, Fabrício Alvim Carvalho, Flávio Amorim Obermuller, Ana Andrade, Fernanda Antunes Carvalho, Simone Aparecida Vieira, Ana Carla Aquino, Luiz Aragão, Ana Claudia Araújo, Marco Antonio Assis, Jose Ataliba Mantelli Aboin Gomes, Fabrício Baccaro, Plínio Barbosa de Camargo, Paulo Barni, Jorcely Barroso, Luis Carlos Bernacci, Kauane Bordin, Marcelo Brilhante de Medeiros, Igor Broggio, José Luís Camargo, Domingos Cardoso, Maria Antonia Carniello, Andre Luis Casarin Rochelle, Carolina Castilho, Antonio Alberto Jorge Farias Castro, Wendeson Castro, Sabina Cerruto Ribeiro, Flávia Costa, Rodrigo Costa de Oliveira, Italo Coutinho, John Cunha, Lola da Costa, Lucia da Costa Ferreira, Richarlly da Costa Silva, Marta da Graça Zacarias Simbine, Vitor de Andrade Kamimura, Haroldo Cavalcante de Lima, Lia de Oliveira Melo, Luciano de Queiroz, José Romualdo de Sousa Lima, Mário do Espírito Santo, Tomas Domingues, Nayane Cristina dos Santos Prestes, Steffan Eduardo Silva Carneiro, Fernando Elias, Gabriel Eliseu, Thaise Emilio, Camila Laís Farrapo, Letícia Fernandes, Gustavo Ferreira, Joice Ferreira, Leandro Ferreira, Socorro Ferreira, Marcelo Fragomeni Simon, Maria Aparecida Freitas, Queila S. García, Angelo Gilberto Manzatto, Paulo Graça, Frederico Guilherme, Eduardo Hase, Niro Higuchi, Mariana Iguatemy, Reinaldo Imbrozio Barbosa, Margarita Jaramillo, Carlos Joly, Joice Klipel, Iêda Leão do Amaral, Carolina Levis, Antonio S. Lima, Maurício Lima Dan, Aline Lopes, Herison Madeiros, William E. Magnusson, Rubens Manoel dos Santos, Beatriz Marimon, Ben Hur Marimon Junior, Roberta Marotti Martelletti Grillo, Luiz Martinelli, Simone Matias Reis, Salomão Medeiros, Milton Meira-Junior, Thiago Metzker, Paulo Morandi, Natanael Moreira do Nascimento, Magna Moura, Sandra Cristina Müller, Laszlo Nagy, Henrique Nascimento, Marcelo Nascimento, Adriano Nogueira Lima, Raimunda Oliveira de Araújo, Jhonathan Oliveira Silva, Marcelo Pansonato, Gabriel Pavan Sabino, Karla Maria Pedra de Abreu, Pablo José Francisco Pena Rodrigues, Maria Piedade, Domingos Rodrigues, José Roberto Rodrigues Pinto, Carlos Quesada, Eliana Ramos, Rafael Ramos, Priscyla Rodrigues, Thaiane Rodrigues de Sousa, Rafael Salomão, Flávia Santana, Marcos Scaranello, Rodrigo Scarton Bergamin, Juliana Schietti, Jochen Schöngart, Gustavo Schwartz, Natalino Silva, Marcos Silveira, Cristiana Simão Seixas, Marta Simbine, Ana Claudia Souza, Priscila Souza, Rodolfo Souza, Tereza Sposito, Edson Stefani Junior, Julio Daniel do Vale, Ima Célia Guimarães Vieira, Dora Villela, Marcos Vital, Haron Xaud, Katia Zanini, Charles Eugene Zartman, Nur Khalish Hafizhah Ideris, Faizah binti Hj Metali, Kamariah Abu Salim, Muhd Shahruney Saparudin, Rafizah Mat Serudin, Rahayu Sukmaria Sukri, Serge Begne, George Chuyong, Marie Noel Djuikouo, Christelle Gonmadje, Murielle Simo-Droissart, Bonaventure Sonké, Hermann Taedoumg, Lise Zemagho, Sean Thomas, Fidèle Baya, Gustavo Saiz, Javier Silva Espejo, Dexiang Chen, Alan Hamilton, Yide Li, Tushou Luo, Shukui Niu, Han Xu, Zhang Zhou, Esteban Álvarez-Dávila, Juan Carlos Andrés Escobar, Henry Arellano-Peña, Jaime Cabezas Duarte, Jhon Calderón, Lina Maria Corrales Bravo, Borish Cuadrado, Hermes Cuadros, Alvaro Duque, Luisa Fernanda Duque, Sandra Milena Espinosa, Rebeca Franke-Ante, Hernando García, Alejandro Gómez, Roy González-M., Álvaro Idárraga-Piedrahíta, Eliana Jimenez, Rubén Jurado, Wilmar López Oviedo, René López-Camacho, Omar Aurelio Melo Cruz, Irina Mendoza Polo, Edwin Paky, Karen Pérez, Angel Pijachi, Camila Pizano, Adriana Prieto, Laura Ramos, Zorayda Restrepo Correa, James Richardson, Elkin Rodríguez, Gina M. Rodriguez M., Agustín Rudas, Pablo Stevenson, Markéta Chudomelová, Martin Dancak, Radim Hédl, Stanislav Lhota, Martin Svatek, Jacques Mukinzi, Corneille Ewango, Terese Hart, Emmanuel Kasongo Yakusu, Janvier Lisingo, Jean-Remy Makana, Faustin Mbayu, Benjamin Toirambe, John Tshibamba Mukendi, Lars Kvist, Gustav Nebel, Selene Báez, Carlos Céron, Daniel M. Griffith, Juan Ernesto Guevara Andino, David Neill, Walter Palacios, Maria Cristina Peñuela-Mora, Gonzalo Rivas-Torres, Gorky Villa, Sheleme Demissie, Tadesse Gole, Techane Gonfa, Kalle Ruokolainen, Michel Baisie, Fabrice Bénédet, Wemo Betian, Vincent Bezard, Damien Bonal, Jerôme Chave, Vincent Droissart, Sylvie Gourlet-Fleury, Annette Hladik, Nicolas Labrière, Pétrus Naisso, Maxime Réjou-Méchain, Plinio Sist, Lilian Blanc, Benoit Burban, Géraldine Derroire, Aurélie Dourdain, Clement Stahl, Natacha Nssi Bengone, Eric Chezeaux, Fidèle Evouna Ondo, Vincent Medjibe, Vianet Mihindou, Lee White, Heike Culmsee, Cristabel Durán Rangel, Viviana Horna, Florian Wittmann, Stephen Adu-Bredu, Kofi Affum-Baffoe, Ernest Foli, Michael Balinga, Anand Roopsind, James Singh, Raquel Thomas, Roderick Zagt, Indu K. Murthy, Kuswata Kartawinata, Edi Mirmanto, Hari Priyadi, Ismayadi Samsoedin, Terry Sunderland, Ishak Yassir, Francesco Rovero, Barbara Vinceti, Bruno Hérault, Shin-Ichiro Aiba, Kanehiro Kitayama, Armandu Daniels, Darlington Tuagben, John T. Woods, Muhammad Fitriadi, Alexander Karolus, Kho Lip Khoon, Noreen Majalap, Colin Maycock, Reuben Nilus, Sylvester Tan, Almeida Sitoe, Indiana Coronado G., Lucas Ojo, Rafael de Assis, Axel Dalberg Poulsen, Douglas Sheil, Karen Arévalo Pezo, Hans Buttgenbach Verde, Victor Chama Moscoso, Jimmy Cesar Cordova Oroche, Fernando Cornejo Valverde, Massiel Corrales Medina, Nallaret Davila Cardozo, Jano de Rutte Corzo, Jhon del Aguila Pasquel, Gerardo Flores Llampazo, Luis Freitas, Darcy Galiano Cabrera, Roosevelt García Villacorta, Karina Garcia Cabrera, Diego García Soria, Leticia Gatica Saboya, Julio Miguel Grandez Rios, Gabriel Hidalgo Pizango, Eurídice Honorio Coronado, Isau Huamantupa-Chuquimaco, Walter Huaraca Huasco, Yuri Tomas Huillca Aedo, Jose Luis Marcelo Peña, Abel Monteagudo Mendoza, Vanesa Moreano Rodriguez, Percy Núñez Vargas, Sonia Cesarina Palacios Ramos, Nadir Pallqui Camacho, Antonio Peña Cruz, Freddy Ramirez Arevalo, José Reyna Huaymacari, Carlos Reynel Rodriguez, Marcos Antonio Ríos Paredes, Lily Rodriguez Bayona, Rocio del Pilar Rojas Gonzales, Maria Elena Rojas Peña, Norma Salinas Revilla, Yahn Carlos Soto Shareva, Raul Tupayachi Trujillo, Luis Valenzuela Gamarra, Rodolfo Vasquez Martinez, Jim Vega Arenas, Christian Amani, Suspense Averti Ifo, Yannick Bocko, Patrick Boundja, Romeo Ekoungoulou, Mireille Hockemba, Donatien Nzala, Alusine Fofanah, David Taylor, Guillermo Bañares-de Dios, Luis Cayuela, Íñigo Granzow-de la Cerda, Manuel Macía, Juliana Stropp, Maureen Playfair, Verginia Wortel, Toby Gardner, Robert Muscarella, Hari Priyadi, Ervan Rutishauser, Kuo-Jung Chao, Pantaleo Munishi, Olaf Bánki, Frans Bongers, Rene Boot, Gabriella Fredriksson, Jan Reitsma, Hans ter Steege, Tinde van Andel, Peter van de Meer, Peter van der Hout, Mark van Nieuwstadt, Bert van Ulft, Elmar Veenendaal, Ronald Vernimmen, Pieter Zuidema, Joeri Zwerts, Perpetra Akite, Robert Bitariho, Colin Chapman, Eilu Gerald, Miguel Leal, Patrick Mucunguzi, Miguel Alexiades, Timothy R. Baker, Karina Banda, Lindsay Banin, Jos Barlow, Amy Bennett, Erika Berenguer, Nicholas Berry, Neil M. Bird, George A. Blackburn, Francis Brearley, Roel Brienen, David Burslem, Lidiany Carvalho, Percival Cho, Fernanda Coelho, Murray Collins, David Coomes, Aida Cuni-Sanchez, Greta Dargie, Kyle Dexter, Mat Disney, Freddie Draper, Muying Duan, Adriane Esquivel-Muelbert, Robert Ewers, Belen Fadrique, Sophie Fauset, Ted R. Feldpausch, Filipe França, David Galbraith, Martin Gilpin, Emanuel Gloor, John Grace, Keith Hamer, David Harris, Tommaso Jucker, Michelle Kalamandeen, Bente Klitgaard, Aurora Levesley, Simon L. Lewis, Jeremy Lindsell, Gabriela Lopez-Gonzalez, Jon Lovett, Yadvinder Malhi, Toby Marthews, Emma McIntosh, Karina Melgaço, William Milliken, Edward Mitchard, Peter Moonlight, Sam Moore, Alexandra Morel, Julie Peacock, Kelvin Peh, Colin Pendry, R. Toby Pennington, Luciana de Oliveira Pereira, Carlos Peres, Oliver L. Phillips, Georgia Pickavance, Thomas Pugh, Lan Qie, Terhi Riutta, Katherine Roucoux, Casey Ryan, Tiina Sarkinen, Camila Silva Valeria, Dominick Spracklen, Suzanne Stas, Martin Sullivan, Michael Swaine, Joey Talbot, James Taplin, Geertje van der Heijden, Laura Vedovato, Simon Willcock, Mathew Williams, Luciana Alves, Patricia Alvarez Loayza, Gabriel Arellano, Cheryl Asa, Peter Ashton, Gregory Asner, Terry Brncic, Foster Brown, Robyn Burnham, Connie Clark, James Comiskey, Gabriel Damasco, Stuart Davies, Tony Di Fiore, Terry Erwin, William Farfan-Rios, Jefferson Hall, David Kenfack, Thomas Lovejoy, Roberta Martin, Olga Martha Montiel, John Pipoly, Nigel Pitman, John Poulsen, Richard Primack, Miles Silman, Marc Steininger, Varun Swamy, John Terborgh, Duncan Thomas, Peter Umunay, Maria Uriarte, Emilio Vilanova Torre, Ophelia Wang, Kenneth Young, Gerardo A. Aymard C., Lionel Hernández, Rafael Herrera Fernández, Hirma Ramírez-Angulo, Pedro Salcedo, Elio Sanoja, Julio Serrano, Armando Torres-Lezama, Tinh Cong Le, Trai Trong Le, Hieu Dang Tra

Effect of facial vertical pattern on mastication and its parameters

Orientador: Renata Cunha Matheus Rodrigues GarciaTese (doutorado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Faculdade de Odontologia de PiracicabaResumo: Acredita-se que a morfologia craniofacial vertical influencia a disposição dos músculos mastigatórios, podendo afetar algumas funções do sistema estomatognático. Diante disto, os objetivos deste estudo foram comparar, entre indivíduos com diferentes padrões faciais verticais, a qualidade da mastigação e os seguintes parâmetros: área de contato oclusal, atividade muscular, esforço muscular, movimentos mandibulares, assimetrias laterais e lado de preferência da mastigação. Para isto, setenta e oito indivíduos saudáveis e dentados foram selecionados e divididos em três grupos de acordo com o padrão facial vertical determinado pelo índice VERT: (1) mesofacial, (2) braquifacial e (3) dolicofacial. A qualidade da mastigação foi obtida por meio dos índices de eficiência e performance mastigatórias, utilizando-se um material teste artificial à base de silicone e um sistema contendo dez peneiras. A eficiência mastigatória foi calculada pelo percentual de material triturado menor que 2 mm, e a performance, pelo valor de X50, obtido com a aplicação da fórmula de Rosin-Rammler. A área de contato oclusal foi avaliada bilateralmente por meio de moldagem das superfícies oclusais com silicone e análise da imagem reproduzida com software apropriado. A atividade eletromiográfica foi realizada nos músculos masseteres e temporais anteriores em repouso, durante contração vertical máxima e mastigação. O esforço que os músculos mastigatórios desempenharam durante a mastigação foi determinado pela porcentagem da atividade durante a função em relação à atividade individual máxima. Os movimentos mandibulares e o lado de preferência mastigatório foram avaliados utilizando-se um cinesiógrafo. A determinação das assimetrias laterais, força máxima de mordida e área de contato oclusal foram avaliadas unilateralmente por meio de sensores posicionados na região de primeiro molar e com molde de silicone, respectivamente. Os dados foram analisados por meio de métodos estatísticos cuidadosamente selecionados e com nível de significância de 5%. Para os dados de eficiência, performance, área de contato oclusal bilateral, atividade muscular em repouso e durante contração vertical máxima, indivíduos dolicofacias apresentaram menores valores, sendo seguidos por indivíduos mesofaciais e braquifacias. Dolicofaciais apresentaram também assimetria de força máxima de mordida, assim como desempenharam maior esforço muscular e maior movimentação posterior da mandíbula, ambos durante a mastigação. Não foram encontradas diferenças significantes entre os três grupos para atividade muscular durante a mastigação e lado de preferência. Todos os grupos apresentaram contatos oclusais assimétricos, com maior área do lado esquerdo. Nos termos em que este estudo foi realizado, pode-se concluir que a morfologia craniofacial influencia a função mastigatória e seus parâmetros.Abstract: Craniofacial vertical morphology may influence the disposition of masticatory muscles, affecting some functions of stomatognathic system. Thus, the aims of this study were to evaluate, in subjects with different facial vertical pattern, the quality of mastication and the following masticatory parameters: occlusal contact area, muscles activities, muscle effort, mandibular movement, lateral asymmetries and chewing side preference. Seventy-eight healthy and dentate individuals were selected according to facial vertical pattern, which was determined using VERT index: (1) mesofacial, (2) brachyfacial, (3) dolichofacial. Quality of mastication was determined by masticatory efficiency and masticatory performance indexes, using a silicon based test material and a system composed by 10 sieves. Masticatory efficiency was calculated by the percentage of comminuted material up to 2 mm, and masticatory performance was given by the X50 value, which was obtained by the Rosin-Rammler equation. Occlusal contact area was evaluated bilaterally using silicon casting of occlusal surfaces and analysis of scanned image with appropriate software. Electromyographic activity of masseter and anterior temporal muscles was carried out at rest, during maximal vertical clenching and during mastication. Muscles effort of masticatory muscles was determined by the percentage of activity used for mastication in relation to the maximal muscle activity. Mandibular movements and chewing side preference were evaluated using a jaw-tracking device. For determination of lateral asymmetries, maximal bite force and occlusal contact area were analysed unilaterally by means of sensors positioned in first molar region and silicon cast, respectively. Data were analyzed using carefully selected statistics methods at a 5% significant level. Dolichofacial subjects presented lower values of masticatory efficiency, masticatory performance, bilateral occlusal contact area, muscle activity at rest and during maximal vertical clenching followed by mesofacial and brachyfacial subjects. Dolichofacials also presented maximal bite force asymmetry, as well as accomplished larger muscle effort and mandibular posterior movement, both during chewing. No significant difference was found among groups for muscle activity during mastication and chewing side preference. All groups presented occlusal contact area asymmetry, with larger area at left side. In the terms in which this study was performed, it can be concluded that craniofacial morphology influences masticatory function and its parameters.DoutoradoProtese DentalDoutor em Clínica Odontológic

Dental practice implications of systemic diseases affecting the elderly: a literature review

According to the 2000 Brazilian Census, elderly people are over 14 million habitants. In consonance with what occurs worldwide, the Brazilian population is growing older and the elderly are expected to be over 33 million by the year of 2025. Although geriatric dentistry has already been recognized as a dental specialty, there is a lack of specialists in this branch of dentistry, which means that general dentists and other dental specialists will be dealing more and more with these patients. Aged individuals are commonly affected by a number of systemic diseases that have an impact on their oral health, such as cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, diabetes mellitus, oral cancer, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases. Dental professionals must be prepared to treat properly these special patients. Therefore, the aim of this review article is to instruct dentist about these highly prevalent diseases affecting the elderly, as well as discuss their oral manifestations and dental implications, in order to propose a safe and adequate oral health care for these patients. Here we will shortly describe the diseases' etiology, main signs/symptoms and medical treatment and will discuss about how to proceed with dental treatment in patients suffering from these pathological conditions

Aging and the periodontium

The geriatric population has been growing fast over the last decades in Brazil and all over the world, changing demographics. Additionally, increased knowledge and the advances of modern dentistry have led the old population to retain more natural teeth, needing specialized dental services for a longer time. Changes in biochemical and physiological processes occur with aging in all body tissues, including the periodontium. The association between periodontal and systemic diseases has also been widely discussed, suggesting the need of a multidisciplinary care, especially in older adults, who are frequently affected by chronic systemic conditions and multiple drug therapy. These features lead to a highly complex management of the geriatric population, challenging the dental care providers. The aim of this study is to review the age-related changes and the consequences of other factors, such as systemic diseases and drugs, on the periodontium of aged patients